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Open Letter of the Week: DJ Soul Sister

This Saturday marks a bittersweet occasion for us at LTTFL, many New Orleans locals, and all of are loyal readers. In the vary moment this is being written, DJ Soul Sister is performing her last regular “Hustle” party at Hi Ho Lounge in the Marigny. It is sweet because we agree with are friend Soul Sister: it is time for her too move on two bigger and better things (aka events not overrun with geeked out brolane students), but its bitter because this has always been one of are favorite events and has introduced us to great music and some of our favorite local venues. On this occasion, we’d be remiss not to pay tribute to are inspiring friend DJ Soul Sister.

Dear Melissa (yeah we’re friends):

Were do we even begin. We remember Leo’s, a bar that only locals like you and us and are loyal readers would remember. We were upstairs with you at Mimi’s, dancing are faces of with other locals before San Francisco expats began seeping into the Bywater. Finally, we followed you to Hi Ho Lounge on St. Claude, where you’re popularity exploded, yet you stayed true to your mission of bringing 80’s funk deep cuts to the locals of New Orleans.

Your shows always were and continue be loud, sweaty, and blurry, a microcosm of the city we inhabit. Of course as true New Orleans locals, we came out of the womb humming the bassline to “Flashlight.” But our love for Funk blossomed under you’re tutelage, as your partys taught us what the genre was really for. You knew what the people wanted more than they did, and you never failed to deliver.

As the venues for Hustle changed, so did the crowd. Did we hate the pastel-clad 20 year old’s who packed themselves like sardines in the Hi Ho mens room and took turns pretending like they were Scarface in the last scene of Scarface? Were we repulsed by the prom dress wearing basics who couldn’t tell James Brown from James Carville? Of course, because in are eyes, this party was for locals only. However, we admire you because you treated everyone the same. For those who didn’t get it, you told them something good by getting freaky on the decks.

So, as your ten year at Hi Ho draws to a close tonight, we would like to thank you for all of the above. You have and will continue to make you’re mark on the culture of are wonderful city, and we look forward to the new things you have in the store. We will continue to follow you at the new Hustle parties, and we’ll try to keep the local feel. But if and when the bachelor party guidos eventually tire of there off-bourbon strippers and stumble in to your new your venu du mois, we trust you’ll put them in they’re place with your flaming hot wax.